11 tips for breaking better

N°1 - Make a plan

Before each shot, determine where you will break. It's simple on a course. With trap shooting, you don't know where the target will be released. So visualise a left, centre, and right zone.

Before each shot, you should know what will happen. Your eyes, barrel, and even your feet should all be precisely placed. Make a plan, visualise it, and carry it out.

N°2 - Don't move before you see the target clearly

Shooters are always in too much of a hurry. You actually have time. Because your brain can't clearly identify the target when it is first released, wait a few moments to analyse its speed and trajectory. Never shoot at something that you don't see. So call for the target, let it be released, take the time to assess its path and speed, and then move.

N°3 - Keep your eyes on the target

To increase your chances of breaking the target, your eyes should stay on it, never on the barrel. When you drive, you watch the road, not the steering wheel.

If you watch the barrel to measure the lead, your brain doesn't know what to aim for. So keep your eyes fixed on the target.

N°4 - Don't rush your shoot

Very good shooters are accurate and take the time to analyse the situation before shooting.

With trap shooting, just being more relaxed will win you a few targets. A good shot is fluid, calm, and confident.

The shooters who rush to the target aren't consistent. Don't rush your shot, as this will increase your stress and decrease your concentration for the rest of the competition.

N°5 - Be relaxed

If you squeeze the gun too tightly, your forearms, upper back, and neck will be tense. You won't keep your distance. Don't squeeze the gun more tightly than a hammer with your back hand. Your front hand is just a guide.

Clay pigeon shooting is a sport where you are competing with yourself even before competing with the other shooters.

N°6 - Don't listen to what everyone else says

Most shooters have never taken a course or read a book about shooting.

You'll hear everything and its opposite. So you need to focus on yourself and your own experience, while building a solid technical foundation.

N°7 - Don't believe that the gun or the cartridges are the problem

99.9% of missed targets are due to a technical error.

If the slope of the gun is OK and the targeting tests are conclusive, the gun is OK. It doesn't matter if it's an 800-euro model.

Same for the cartridges. Basic 28 g cartridges are perfect.

N°8 - Trap shooting and DTL : learn the shooting positions for each stand by heart

In Universal Trap Shooting, you have 5 stands and 5 traps. It's not shooting the target that is hard. The challenge is that you don't know which trap will be released. The thing is that for each stand, there is a magic point that covers any trap.

Success in trap shooting and DTL comes from your ability to reproduce the right gesture each time. So you need to know the position of your feet, the barrel, and your eyes for each stand.

Then, apply the first 3 tips from this list.

N°9 - Course : learn the forward allowance

This discipline is much more technical, since the trajectories are variable.

Make the effort to learn the forward allowance. This literally changes everything. The shot is simpler, slower, and easier. This method involves shouldering your gun in front of the target and always following just ahead of it. The advantage is that the barrels go at the same speed as the target.

Once you've understood this technique, the course becomes much easier.

N°10 - Take a class

Taking a class is a great way to learn basics and techniques with a professional. They can also recommend the right equipment for clay pigeon shooting.

It will be just as important to have this professional teach you the correct postures and movements to carry out to increase your shooting efficiency.

N°11 - Practice at home

All the best lessons are learned through repetition. Feel free to practice the movements and postures at home. It only takes a few minutes, but it will greatly improve your shooting performance.

David Avril's tip: to create a fluid motion, practise following a line with your gun. This line will symbolise the trajectory of the target, and your movements will become automatic for future shots.

* The prices listed on the site are the prices recommended by DECATHLON SA's central purchasing department.